I am so excited about this DIY chocolate recipe. Not only are the chocolates delicious and my family loves them, but I know they are better for our health too. I highly recommend you try it!
DIY Chocolates that taste better than most store-bought versions
I never thought making my own chocolate was so easy. Real chocolate you can make at home with only 3 high quality ingredients and some fun molds. A gluten and dairy free recipe that everyone in your family will fall in love with!
Now this is what I call a healthy treat. Eating chocolate can bring health benefits, and I mean, lots of health benefits! Make sure you choose a good quality coconut oil
Let’s talk about where to find the ingredients, why this recipe is good for you, and a few other little tips for success. Then, we’ll check out my recipe! (FYI-If you’re in a rush, you can scroll down to the bottom to grab the recipe right away, or use the “jump to recipe” link at the top of this post).
Where to find the ingredients and supplies for homemade chocolate
Just a quick FYI, this homemade chocolate recipe uses affiliate links for product recommendations. If you buy through them, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Luckily, I was able to find organic cacao powder
Health benefits of real chocolate
Who said chocolate can’t be good for you? Those people are crazy! Yes, of course, if you eat it by the pound, it can definitely cause problems. However, in moderation, it’s actually quite beneficial. Let’s check out just a handful of the benefits, all backed by science.
- A 2001 Penn State study found that real cocoa and dark chocolate help lower your bad cholesterol.
- In 2003, the American Chemical Society declared that real hot cocoa (not the fake powdered stuff) is richer in antioxidants than red wine and tea.
- In 2011, the Chemistry Central Journal declared chocolate a “superfruit” because of all its antioxidants. Yep, chocolate technically comes from fruit!
- A 2015 study by the University Hospital Düsseldorf found that cocoa flavanols lower blood pressure even in healthy people.
- Just last year, an American Heart Association study found that cocoa can actually help relieve pain in those with peripheral artery disease.
The list goes on and on. Additional studies found that it could be a healthy treat for diabetics, help beat the midday slump, and even fight tooth disease! I know, that last one surprised me, too.
If you want to know more about the health benefits of eating cacao, please take a look at my post: How to tell if you are eating chocolate that is good for you. You will discover that unfortunately, most chocolates in the market are not real chocolate.
For more ideas on how to incorporate cacao and get all the wonderful benefits, please see my Cacao Almond Meal Cupcakes With Cream Cheese Frosting and these 4 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Hearts recipes. Chocolate recipes that are super easy to make and delicious homemade treats for you and your family, because they deserve to eat real food.
Coconut oil and maple are also beneficial!
As for the other ingredients, I think we’ve all heard by now just how good real coconut oil is for you, right? If not, some benefits include:
- Fighting gum disease
- Beating high blood pressure
- Improving gut health
- Treating acne
- …and more!
The other ingredient in this easy chocolate recipe, maple contains a whopping 54 beneficial compounds. Just make sure you’re getting real maple syrup. NOW Foods is my favorite. Check it out below, along with some alternatives. You can also use real honey. I’ve included a few that I like below as well. The first one is my top pick.
Go ahead and try this super-easy way to make your own chocolates
This Mind-Blowing 3 Ingredient DIY Chocolate recipe is so easy to make. Enjoy them plain or add some fun toppings and mix-ins if you want to vary each time you make this delicious treat. I’ll share some of my favorite ideas below. You can also see my 4 Ingredient Dark Chocolate Raspberry Hearts recipe if you are interested in my other methods for how I make chocolate.
Tip: Store your chocolates in the freezer and take them out a few minutes before serving because they melt pretty quickly if left outside. With this recipe, I made about 30 mini chocolates.
Homemade chocolate toppings and mix-ins to try
When it comes to toppings and mix-ins, the possibilities are quite literally endless. Some of my favorites include:
- Chopped nuts or seeds-pistachio, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and macadamia are all amazing.
- Fresh berries-raspberry is my favorite!
- Dried fruits-just make sure they’re 100% pure fruit and not mixed with sugar, etc. Organic is best.
- Real shredded coconut.
- Natural organic peanut butter.
- Sea salt (Pink Himalayan salt is also good, and it’s beautiful too).
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and other “dessert” spices. Or get really creative and use basil, saffron, or even curry!
- Essential oil extracts- choose food-grade oils like lemon, peppermint, orange, or even thyme for unique chocolates.
There really are so many easy ways to make these chocolate treats! You could even make chocolate bars with this recipe if you wanted to.
Most of these work as both toppings or mix-ins, with the exception of the essential oils, obviously. One more word about those- make sure you’re actually getting the real thing. If the label says “flavor” or “flavoring,” it’s fake. Also, a very, very, very little goes a long way! Seriously, 2-3 drops is plenty. Here are a few that I like:
Fun ways to package your homemade chocolates for gift-giving
These DIY chocolates make an amazing gift for Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, or any other holiday. While we just store them in a box or bag at home, if you’re gifting them, presentation matters a bit more, right? Here are a few cute ideas to try.
These cute mini Kraft boxes with heart cut-out
These little Kraft boxes are just right for a small gift. You get 20 pieces, so they’re perfect if you’re putting together gifts in bulk to give out to friends and family.
Silver Heart-Shaped Tins
If you’d rather package them up in something that can be reused, these tins will do the trick. They’re fairly small, but you get 14 of them. So again, they’re great for those holidays where you’re making a bunch of small gifts for everyone.
Simple yet elegant truffle boxes
I love these truffle boxes because they’re not really holiday-specific, so you can use them for any occasion. The window lets your recipient see what’s inside, making your chocolate the star of the show.
Of course, you can also make your own favor boxes. I found this “Favor Box Template” Pinterest board that has TONS of neat ideas. Pretty much any food-safe container goes. If you want to include your kids, maybe buy some of those plain truffle boxes or Kraft boxes and let them decorate them.
Okay, I think we’ve about covered everything. Now, let’s check out the recipe, shall we? It’s SO easy, you’ll want to make these all the time. Oh, last tip- while you can just scoop the mixture into your molds, you can also use an icing bag for more control.
Check Out My DIY Chocolate Video Tutorial
3 Ingredient DIY Chocolate
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 30 chocolates 1x
Description
Delicious real chocolate recipe using cacao and only three healthy ingredients. Vegan, gluten free, dairy free real chocolate recipe.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1/2 cup virgin coconut oil (melted)
- 5–6 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (use 6 if you like them extra sweet)
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, mix all ingredients. You want to incorporate all ingredients really well. You can whisk by hand or using a hand blender.
- Put the mixture into fun molds (I used the egg chocolate mold and a heart chocolate mold). Place in the freezer for about 2-3 hours.
- Enjoy!
Notes
You can get creative with added ingredients like nuts, dried fruits, and seeds.
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: diy, chocolate, healthy treat, vegan, gluten free, diy chocolate, vegan chocolate
Last update on 2022-11-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Deane Alban says
I’d come up with a similar recipe on my own but never thought of using candy molds. Your idea is SO much more convenient and attractive!
Creative And Healthy Fun Food says
Thank You! I’m glad you liked the idea.
Anna Valiet says
I have added 1/2 cup of butter so to make consistency much thicker.my son ryan loves your smiley faced potato i make him in his snacks box.
I have tried one mousse today morning its chocolate vanilla mousse.It was also good.Willshare for you the link http://www.nestle-family.com/recipes/english/chocolate-and-vanilla-mousse_8083.aspx
★★
Creative And Healthy Fun Food says
Thank you! I’m so glad you and your son like my recipes 🙂
ty says
this chocolate is awesome plus go on YouTube and watch paint bucket jam 2017 leave a like
Creative And Healthy Fun Food says
Thank you!
Carly says
I have a nut and coconut allergy. Any sub for coconut oil ?
Thanks
TheVeggieCook says
You could use any flavourless oil, but not olive, as it would make your chocolates taste like olive! I think they use coconut oil here because it is very healthy, but obviously if you are allergic you would be best not using it!
Danielle says
The best sub might be cocoa butter, but you might need to adjust the ratios, and it’s not as easy to find as coconut oil.
Christine says
Chocolate is my weakness!! This recipe looks like a must try! I’m not a huge honey fan, might try substituting agave nectar.
Creative And Healthy Fun Food says
Thank you! You can also use maple syrup!
April says
I love this recipe! My only question is how to keep it from melting if it’s not in the refrigerator? I’d love to bring this type of chocolate to family gatherings and things 🙂
Creative Healthy Family says
Hi, thank you for your comment. Unfortunately, the chocolates will melt a little when left at room temperature after a few hours. My suggestion is to keep the refrigerated until you serve them. The chocolates will be good for about 1 hour aprox. Hope this helps!
Edith Cecilia Moreno says
Wow! I can’t wait to try this recipe! Any suggestions for honey substitutes?
Creative And Healthy Fun Food says
You can use maple syrup too!
Stephanie Rodriguez says
I love chocolate and gonna have to try recreating this at home
Creative And Healthy Fun Food says
You are going to love it ????
Charleen says
Those look delicious and it’s awesome that they are healthy and easy!
Brittany says
I’m wondering if someone wants to add mint into this, would you just add a few drops?
ALEXA says
Hello! Just tried this recipe and it tastes good, but when I took it out the freezer it started to melt. So when i pick up a block to eat, it gets all over my fingers instead of waiting to melt when I eat it. I followed the recipe exactly. Any tips?
Thanks!
Maria Petit says
This recipe was delicious !!!!
★★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you! Glad you liked the recipe.
Jackie Hussey says
Super yummy recipe!! Any tips to keep it from melting so quickly? Or maybe I’m doing something incorrect?
★★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you! The chocolates are yummy, we love them too! They do melt quickly, just keep them in the freezer and serve right away. When I keep them in the freezer overnight they do last longer at room temperature.
Shelley says
Can I substitute cocoa butter in lieu of the coconut oil? It has a higher melting temp I think?
Creative Healthy Family says
Hi, I haven’t tried using cocoa butter so I would not be able to tell you for sure. But I think it should be ok.
Vairamala says
Hi i tried this recipe n i love the chocolate flavour cause of maple syrup. The bih problem is, its not hardening. Stuck to the mould. What to do to harden the chocolate?
Creative Healthy Family says
Oh no! Maybe it is the mold you are using. I like silicone molds for this recipe because they are super easy to handle. I will try and freeze for a longer time and see if that is the problem. Are you using coconut oil?
Connie says
This is AMAZING! I used part honey and part stevia. I have the exact same heart mold as you do, and for some I put in a dried cherry and the rest I sprinked some sea salt. I will never buy dark chocolate again.
★★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
I know right? I also love this recipe. Thanks for your comment!
wbs-law.de says
Thanks for the marvelous posting! I quite enjoyed reading it,
you happen to be a great author.I will make sure to bookmark your blog and will come back in the future.
I want to encourage you continue your great posts, have a nice
weekend!
★★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you so much for your comment!
Lynn says
Very good recipe- easy to make. I did come back on to read the comments to find out about the melting issue. Instead of cacao I used cocoa powder- tasted great but clearly I made a mistake. Will try with correct powder next time!!
★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you and I am so glad you enjoyed the chocolates.
kundan says
thankyou for sharing. i really enjoys this chocolate.
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you for your comment. Glad you liked the chocolates.
kundan says
Welcome.
Julia says
Worked really well! Sweetened it with maple syrup instead (though less than half the recipe) and added coconut cream for a ganache type texture 😉 worked really well and is currently spread on my chocolate babka 😉
★★★★★
David says
I added a quarter cup of white sugar to this to sweeten it up more for the maple syrup wasn’t enough, tasted like incredibly dark chocolate, but the sugar sweetened it up considerably
Kain Crump says
just tried them and they are A-MAZING and so so easy to make its very fum for the kids to they love them. (tip: use almonds and add a mint leaf on top before freezing with a 1/4 teaspoon of powdered sugar works well and makes it taste great!)
Barbara Freitas says
Hi. Have been making this recipe for sometime now and it’s so easy and I love it I do have a question out for the holidays if I make a thin layer of the chocolate would it work if I put like peanut butter in it then put another layer over that and freeze them how do you think that would taste
★★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
I think it will be really good! please let me know so I can include it in the recipe card.
Anjali Rai says
What an amazing recipe! Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’d like to use True Elements Chocolate Granola with 100% Dark Chocolate for a healthy version of this recipe here as they are a Clean Label Food Brand which makes it trustworthy. Would definitely recommend this recipe to everyone. Thanks again for sharing such amazing recipe 🙂
Sonali says
I tried this recipe and loved it. I am big fan of eating healthy homemade food so always look for recipes which can be easily made at home. I love chocolates so I was looking for homemade instead of store brought which has so many artificial preservatives. This is super simple recipe. I doubled this recipe and was not sure how it will turn out but it turned out well and chocolates are melting in mouth. It has bit coconuty flavour but the smoothness of chocolate is really divine. I am not going to buy chocolates anymore and this is great idea to gift… Thanks so much for this wonderful recipe.
★★★★★
Signe L. says
I am a diabetic type 2 can you eliminate the sugar or cut the sugar in half or a fourth. For it will not have so much sugar in them. I almost went a year without any chocolate because of my A1C was high . So I kind of went vegan meaning cut out all carbs, junk food and almost all processed foods. Chocolate is my kryptonite meaning weakness. Can I make these espresso flavor because I like experimenting with new things. Any ideas will help.
Jenny says
Easy, fun, healthy, homemade, and absolutely delicious!!! Amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Creative Healthy Family says
Thank you so much!